This Fast X Cast Member Put In A Good Word For Louis Letterier To Step In As The New Director
When Justin Lin stepped away from "Fast X" citing that age-old excuse of "creative differences," Universal was forced to hire a replacement immediately. At the time, shooting on the 10th "Fast and Furious" movie had just got underway, with Lin leaving days after the cameras started rolling on a film that would form part of one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history.
Lin had overseen multiple films in the "Fast" saga, from "Tokyo Drift" to "Fast & Furious," "Fast Five," "Fast and Furious 6," and "F9." He was the man in charge as the franchise shifted away from street racing and towards the all-out action blockbuster series it's known as today. So to put it mildly, when Universal drafted in "Clash of the Titans" director Louis Leterrier, he had a hell of a task ahead of him.
But how did Leterrier — a man whose last project was the swiftly-canceled Netflix show "Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance" — manage to land this high-profile position, fraught with all the issues that come with taking over directing duties on a massive blockbuster movie that's already started filming? Well, it seems at least part of the reason was that he had a little help from a former colleague.
Letterier's woman on the inside
"Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance" was canceled back in 2020. And while Netflix doesn't release viewership numbers, the rumors at the time suggested the show's audience didn't justify the expense of making this prequel to Jim Henson's 1982 fantasy movie "The Dark Crystal." Which was unfortunate for Louis Leterrier, who had directed all 10 episodes of the series and executive-produced the show.
But it wouldn't be all doom and gloom — at least not for Leterrier, who not only worked with "Fast and Furious" franchise star Jason Statham on the first two "Transporter" films, but also directed British actress Nathalie Emmanuel as the voice of Deet in the "Dark Crystal" Netflix show. The actor had appeared in the "Fast" series since 2015's "Furious 7" in which she played computer hacker and tech expert Ramsey, and had shown up in each successive film. So, when it came time to replace Justin Lin on "Fast X," Emmanuel put in a good word for her former "Dark Crystal" director.
As Leterrier recalled to The Hollywood Reporter:
"You know who put in a good word? Nathalie Emmanuel, who I worked with on 'Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.' So, Jason [Statham] and I know each other, obviously, but I don't know if they called him. But I know that they called Nathalie, and she put in a great word. So it's very much thanks to Nathalie, and I thank her very much."
Leterrier pulled off the impossible
You can't blame Louis Leterrier for worrying that "Fast X" could be the movie that ends his career. The director was stepping into the midst of one of the biggest blockbuster franchises as its latest entry was already filming. Which makes it all the more impressive that Leterrier was able to do a complete rewrite of the "Fast X" script and produce a movie that is, by most accounts, outrageously entertaining.
All of which means Nathalie Emmanuel putting in a good word for her erstwhile director turned out to be a good thing. Considering the unique situation and the stakes, Leterrier could easily have fumbled this most important job. What's more, there wasn't all that compelling an argument to bring him in aside from his familiarity with action movies. Leterrier was coming off the cancellation of "Dark Crystal" and his last Hollywood effort was 2016's "Grimsby" (Though he also directed French action comedy "The Takedown" in 2022) which hardly set him up to take over arguably Universal's biggest blockbuster franchise and the fourth most expensive movie of all time. And on top of that, the director previously revealed to Gizmodo that he only had three days between securing the job and calling action on-set.
But, with a little help from his ensemble cast, Emmanuel's behind-the-scenes support, and an unreasonably entertaining performance from Jason Momoa as what might be the best "Fast and Furious" baddie ever, Leterrier managed to pull off the impossible.